


Thursday

by itachiscatears



Series: Izuna Week 2021 [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cat Dad Izuna, Established Relationship, Non-Binary Itama, Other, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29299371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itachiscatears/pseuds/itachiscatears
Summary: The common consensus is that shitty days suck. Izuna, Itama and some cats.
Relationships: Senju Itama/Uchiha Izuna
Series: Izuna Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151918
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Thursday

**Author's Note:**

> Unofficial sequel to the fic that was supposed to be posted today but got way too big and frustrating to finish in time. This is the second emergency fic I'm writing for this day because the first emergency fic was Bad. This day may be cursed. RIP @ me, lads. 
> 
> Background: Set in England (families are originally from Japan). They've been together about a year after a very slow burn start. Izuna is 31ish and Itama 27ish. They were acquaintances through Hashirama & Madara and got closer when Itama adopted from a litter Izuna was fostering. 
> 
> P.S. If any non-Founders characters are mentioned, 10 out of 10 times they are a cat (because I'm lazy).
> 
> Written for:
> 
> Izuna Week 2021 - Day 1: Modern AU | ~~Canonverse~~

**Senju Itama**

**9 March, Thursday**

_Today sucked (17:08)  
Actually this whole week sucked but today especially (17:09)  
Can I come over tonight (17:09)_

_Okay (17:20)  
What happened? (17:20)_

_Nothing just feeling sad for no reason (17:21)  
Omw (17:21)_

*

Itama's car is parked on the street when he gets home. Quick, Izuna thinks suspiciously. Maybe they had already been on their way.

Indra starts yowling for food as soon as he opens the front door. "I'm home," he says, ignoring the cat as he kicks off his shoes and hangs up his damp coat.

"Welcome home. I already fed him."

Itama is slumped on the sofa with their iPad propped up on their knees, head resting on an elbow. They don't seem to be paying much attention to either the TV or their sketch, but Izuna has a feeling that is more to do with whatever thoughts are banging around the inside of their head rather than the cat, Shisui, batting insistently at their pen hand to be pet.

"Do you want a cup of tea?"

"Yeah, thanks."

He puts the kettle on and goes upstairs to change into pyjamas, too tired to shower. He checks on the foster in the cat room and spends a few minutes petting coarse grey fur; the cat is largely uninterested in him and affects an air of long-suffering when Izuna tries to wiggle a toy for him. Itama must have already worn out his patience for human interaction when they filled his bowl.

He closes the door after himself and herds Indra, still yowling, out of the hall and downstairs. He scoops a quarter of a cup of food into the little beast's bowl and watches exasperatedly as he eats exactly two pieces of kibble and wanders off to groom himself. Sasuke, summoned by the irresistible sound of Indra’s expensive kibble hitting the bowl, melts out of the shadows and gobbles down the rest. Izuna sighs and turns a blind eye.

The kettle has long-since boiled. He puts it on again and digs listlessly through the kitchen for something to make for dinner. "Do you want to order in?" he asks finally, increasingly frustrated with his bare cupboards. "I need to go shopping. Unless you want tuna sandwiches.”

"Whatever you want."

He rolls his eyes at the ceiling and orders moderately edible pizza from the nearest takeaway place.

“Here’s your tea.”

Itama hardly even glances at the stupid pattern on their mug, let alone smiles as they usually would, muttering a thanks as they fiddle with layers on their drawing file. 

Izuna sits on the other side of them, nudging Shisui's fluffy tail out of the way. "Have you seen Itachi?" he asks, momentarily distracted.

"He was sleeping in his usual spot when I got here. I closed the curtain around him so he's probably still there."

Izuna thinks he can make out a lump around the curtain when he squints at the foyer window. "Pspspspsps?"

Shisui sits up, alert. The curtain twitches.

"Never mind,” he tells the cats and sips too-hot tea, taking out his ponytail. He combs listless fingers through his hair and leans against the arm of the sofa, unconsciously mirroring Itama's posture.

He considers what to say. Eventually he sighs, frustrated with his own exhaustion.

"What's with the Victorian nightgown?"

"What about it?" Itama grumbles, picking up their tea without looking.

Izuna eyes them over the rim of his mug. "Nothing. Is it new?"

"Yeah. Forgot I ordered it during my cottagecore phase a couple months ago and it came yesterday. Figured I paid for it so might as well get some use out of it.”

Izuna pokes a toe beneath the ruffled hem and lifts it high enough to expose a scarred knee. "You wearing something interesting underneath?"

They blow on their tea. "Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy."

Izuna snorts. "Don't cite the deep magic to me. I was there when it was written."

Itama gives him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "Stop laughing at Hashirama's Facebook memes. It only encourages him."

"Youth these days."

“You're only three and a half years older than me, you're embarrassing and I want to break up."

"The fact that you round the months down to 'and a half' speaks for itself."

"Okay, boomer."

Izuna sips his tea and asks absently, "Did you get cancelled on Twitter again?"

Itama sighs and flicks through a colour wheel with their pen, swatching various shades of blue. "The weird thing is that I know you used to be hip and cool back in the day, circa twenty-thirteen, but when you say innocuous modern slang I feel like I’m talking to my actual grandfather. Hashirama said ‘lit’ unironically the other day and it didn’t make my skin crawl half as much as you saying ‘cancelled’.”

“Hip and cool?” Izuna mutters, mystified. “It’s nice that you think so highly of me, but I was never cool. If you haven’t noticed, I have seven cats.”

“Well, I think the cat thing is subjective.”

“I think it’s all subjective, sweetheart, but you’ve got to wonder about someone with seven cats.”

“I don’t have to wonder. I already know you’re annoying.”

“Just so we’re clear,” Izuna agrees and drains his tea. “What are you drawing?”

“Porn.”

Izuna doesn’t doubt it. “Can you stop drawing porn for a couple minutes?”

Itama sighs as if this might actually be a problem but saves their draft and puts their iPad on the coffee table. They lift their arms at the same time and simply stare at each other. A slow, reluctant smile twitches up the corners of Itama’s mouth and they shift until they are lying back against the sofa, nightgown slipping up pale thighs.

Izuna moves his mug to a safer spot and settles between their legs, burying his face in their chest. Itama wiggles a little under him to get more comfortable and hitches their legs over his hips, ankles crossing loosely over his thighs. Fingers comb through his hair.

He turns his face eventually, the thin cotton of the nightgown growing damp with his breath. “Did you want to talk about it?”

“S’nothing really to talk about. You don’t seem like you had a good day either.”

“Just the usual shit.”

“Yeah.” They sigh loudly, as if glad to get those simple words off their chest. “I did get this bizarre commission enquiry if you want to hear about it. I might even do it if they agree to add another hundred pounds.”

Izuna snorts softly. Considering the _already_ bizarre things Itama draws for money… 

“What did they want, then?”


End file.
